Stopping Distance

The space in front of us is the only space we can control on the road

Stopping Distance :

The stopping distance is the distance a driver needs to safely bring the moving vehicle to a complete stop. This includes the time it takes you to react after seeing hazard and then switching your foot to brake and applying brakes.

In order to stop when the vehicle in front of you is stopping, you must first see the need to brake (perception time), then take your foot from the accelerator to the brake pedal and push (reaction time). The last step is getting your vehicle stopped in time (stopping time).

To ensure we have a quicker response, we should not have any distractions as it will impact hazard perception time and our reaction time. Also,our brakes must be in good condition as well. Stopping distance = reaction distance + braking distance

The reaction distance:

The reaction time is the time it takes the driver to notice a threat and then apply the brake. If the driver is not distracted,this usually takes a second. The distance that the driver covers at a certain speed during this time is the reaction distance.

Reaction distance is calculated by the following rule of thumb:

Reaction distance = (speed ÷ 10) × 3.

At a speed of 100 km/h the reaction distance alone is 30 meters. If the reaction time increases due to distraction, reaction distance increases.

Braking Distance :

Braking Distance is the distance traveled by the vehicle before coming to a complete stop and usually take 1-1.5 seconds.

Braking Distance depends on many factors like :

1. Our current speed

2. Efficiency of our brakes

3. Our reaction speed from the time we had spotted the hazard.

4. Load on the Vehicle

5. Driver attention

6. Road conditions like wet,gravel,potholes etc

7. Our tyre conditions

It's essential not to have any distractions on the road.

How much stopping distance do we need?

At 60kmph, we need at least 45 metres in front to stop the car safely without rear ending the car on the front. The simple truth about speeding is: the faster you go, the longer it takes to stop and, if you crash, the harder the impact.

But it's difficult to measure distances on the road. So,3 second rule is used to calculate safe following distance. While driving,pick a non-moving object like tree,sign board etc on the road side.

When the car infront crosses that object,you should cross that after 3 seconds on a dry sunny day.

For every other hazard like rain,fog,night etc, add a second extra.

For example, if its raining at night, make it 3+1+1 seconds.

Sample Videos :

1. Following Too closely

2. Following too close

3. Rear end collisions and brain injury risk

4. following too close